"Tag Team Revival!"

Summary: God’s ways are so far past our ways! The battle plan of Jonathan was laughable from man’s point of view, but God saw in Jonathan great "faith." Also note the great loylaty of Jonathan’s armour bearer. What a message for the Church today!

1 Samuel 13: 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

Only two swords.

In all of Israel, there were only two swords. One belonged to King Saul, and he was not about to use it. The other belonged to Jonathan. The Bible is our sharp two edged sword. It is sad that so often in many Churches there are only two "sword" fighters in the Church, the Pastor and the Associate Pastor. Every person who attends BBT needs to be a "sword fighting Christian!"

23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

Are you in the battle?

We are in a battle for the survival of our nation. Are you in the fight?

Chapter 14:1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

Are you tired of living in the valley?

Jonathan was tired of living in the valley. We wanted to climb the mountain. Are you tired of living a defeated Christian life? Are you ready to apprehend all that God has for you?

Note that Jonathan did not invite his Father to come along. There is no room for the backslider on the front of the battle.

2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

The sin of spiritual laziness.

The last time that I read about pomegranate trees is when Solomen took Shulamith there on his honeymoon. Our honeymoon is when we get to Heaven. Until then, we are in spiritual warfare! How sad it will be this week of revival when many of the people of our Church will be nesting under the pomegranated tree instead of kneeling at the altars praying for revival!

3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

Time for a decision.

Jonathan and his armour bearer put themselves between two sharp cliffs. They saw themselves at the point of decision. There was no where to look, but up! God wants us to be praying for a miracle!

6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

The “If Clause.”

Jonathan did not tell his armour bearer that God would, he said, "It may be..." We need to do what is the right thing to do regardless of the circumstances. If we die, we die gloriously!

Invitation: Will two people respond? Jonathan was only extending this invitation to an audience of one! If we can get two people excited about revival at BBT, we will see the glory of God this week!

7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

Will you be “with me” this week in revival? Loyalty...

Most people today have no comprehension of loyalty, the young armour bearer in this text exemplifies "loyalty to the max!"

You cannot follow Jesus to the grave… he’s not there! (Think about it!)

8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

Announcing our faith publicly.

9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 10But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

Revival is a “God thing.”

The only way to experience revival is for God to do it for us. This plan of Jonathan was so utterly ridicules that it only God could make it work! Can you imagine the plan? Two soldiers exposing themselves to a hugh enemy force and wait for them to invite you to climb up a steep cliff embankment as they await your arrival with there swords drawn? Keep in mind that between Jonathan and his arnour bearer, they had only one sword!

God’s ways are so far past our ways! The battle plan of Jonathan was laughable from man’s point of view, but God saw in Jonathan great "faith." Also note the great loylaty of Jonathan’s armour bearer. What a message for the Church today!